In preparation for an erosion control project at one of the piers on the U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland, a closed section of Holly Road is being rebuilt to provide access to the site at the river’s edge.

Preparation work could take several weeks before the erosion control project could begin.

“We have an area at the pier nearest the shoreline on the south side of the Cumberland River where there is some scouring that, if left unattended, could eventually endanger the integrity of the bridge,” said KYTC District 1 Acting Chief Engineer Mike McGregor. “We plan to reinforce the shoreline to repair the erosion and prevent future scouring.”

Jim Smith Contracting was awarded an $820,138 contract to build a coffer dam around the fourth pier from the Smithland side of the river. The coffer dam will then be filled with concrete to protect the pier during floods. The design includes a reinforced embankment constructed with sheet piling. The area will then be back-filled with rip rap to prevent future erosion.

“It is likely to take a couple of weeks to beef up the road enough to allow a crane and other heavy equipment required for the work access to the site,” McGregor said. “While we have an easement that allows us to access the area below the bridge for such work, this extension of Holly Road has not been used for many years. It will take almost as much time to rebuild the road as it will to do the required work.”

Once the road upgrade is completed and the erosion control work is able to start, the project is expected to take about a month to complete.